2023 National Council Election

National Council is Triangle’s all-volunteer board of directors consisting of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, six alumni Councilmen, one active Councilman, and the Past President.  The Secretary, Treasurer, and Active Councilman positions are appointed annually.  The President and Vice President are elected for one-year terms and three Councilmen are elected each year for two-year terms. Occasionally, there is a Councilman elected for one year to complete the term of a previous Councilman.

Below are the nominated candidate’s biographies.  Once you feel comfortable placing your vote you may do so by completing and submitting the form below.  If you would like to vote via paper ballot, please contact Triangle Fraternity Headquarters at (317) 837-9640 or via email to hq@triangle.org. 

Please Note: Online voting closes May 31 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.

Nominated for President | Ryan Sunyak tol10

Employer:  General Electric

Goals for Triangle:
1.  Ensure that the priorities of our membership are engrained in the strategic plan, annual work plan, and council initiatives. Deliverables for the term include input into the staff work plan so that the required baseline data collection is accomplished, constituent discussions on fraternity experience/expectations/value, and parsing the results of feedback to develop a representative voice for each constituent group.  The end objective is to better understand what each constituent group defines as success measures and the critical questions asked of each so that strategy, work plans, and initiatives can be weighed against it.

2.  Use the position to improve council engagement and throughput. I believe that the most direct method for engagement on this type of board is active committees.  So, I plan to collaborate with the President so that I can take a more active role in improving committee management while he focuses more time on strategic direction.  This alleviates the current issue with many committees that little management occurs outside of council meetings so inaction lingers.  Deliverables for the term are ensuring that all committees have goals, rosters, and recurring meetings with set agendas.

3.  Initiate a value analysis for NIC membership options with council and immediate fraternity family during this term. This is a necessity so that a future membership decision can be grounded in logic and an intentional choice rather than a reaction to negative emotion in the changing fraternal landscape.  The deliverable for this term is (1) development of a plan or decision tree with staff to assess NIC membership at critical milestones, (2) continued discussion with similarly positioned fraternities, (3) execution of targeted discussions with key active and alumni audiences to assess the temperature of the membership on this subject.

Nominated for Vice President | Pete Satre os89

Pete Satre was initiated into the Ohio State chapter in 1989, where he went on to in serve multiple officer positions, including chapter vice-president. Upon returning to the Columbus area in 2000, Pete served on the chapter alumni board and as an active adviser. He was elected to serve on National Council in 2017. He currently serves as chairman of the Communications Committee and is a member of the Finance Committee.

Brother Satre graduated from Ohio State, earning a B.S in Metallurgical Engineering. He was employed by Ford Motor Company in Cleveland, OH for 7 years before joining Allied Mineral Products, Inc. in 2000. His current position is Manager of Corporate Engineering.

He and his wife Maria live in Columbus, Ohio. They have 3 children.

Nominated for Councilman (2 yr. term) | Jake Hoppert msu

Jake graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2013. After graduation, he joined Black & Veatch as a Chemical Engineer in their Power Generation Business line. In his current role, he leads clean fuels projects focused on production of green and blue hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuels. While working full-time, Jake received his Master’s degree in Engineering Management and is currently a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Michigan where he lives.

Goals for Triangle:
Preserve and promote the chosen Ideals of my Fraternity: In order to ensure that our values and ideals stand the test of time, we must grow our membership. To me, this means growth in numbers and in character, skillset, and influence.

1. Drive membership growth through development of an enhanced undergraduate experience. We hear feedback frequently about why people don’t join Triangle, so it is imperative that we are able to ensure that the value of joining Triangle for each individual member and the experience they have as an undergraduate outweighs any barriers to entry.

2. Develop a playbook for expansion which includes (among other things) resources to allow new groups to hit the ground running when it comes to member education, recruitment, and engagement with the National Organization.

3. Provide an experience which enhances the skills and abilities of our membership to prepare them to make a difference in their communities and careers. Morgan Brickley, our Director of Leadership Programs, has done a great job with updating our membership education program. We need to continue to focus on providing opportunities and avenues for personal growth for our undergraduate members.

Nominated for Councilman (2 yr. term) | Fareed Dibazar ucsd12

Employer: MTBA, Inc

Occupation: Health IT Project Manager and Privacy Officer, specializing in Compliance and Health Systems Management

Background: B.S. in Evolutionary Biology, B.A. in Political Science/International Relations UC-San Diego, Masters in Public Health (MPH) University of Southern California, 14+ years in Health Sector, 5 of which were in Biotech, 4 years in Management, Initiated: UCSD Zeta Class 2012 (zeta12)

Goals for Triangle: 1) Above all else: Have fun 2) Boost Morale in existing chapters, particularly in the West Coast 3) offer recent recolonization perspective for struggling/warm-start chapters 4) bridge gaps in chapter culture and leadership 5) support fiscally sound opportunities for Triangle to expand by championing chapter expansions 6) provide mentorship for nonconventional brothers

Fareed John Dibazar joined the UC-San Diego Chapter of Triangle Fraternity in the Fall of 2011 (on a dare) and was initiated Winter of 2012. While at UC-San Diego, Fareed served in a number of roles including Vice President-External, New Member Educator, and Director of Philanthropy in the undergraduate organization. As an alumnus, Fareed has served as the Active Chapter Advisor for 8 years and Vice President of the Alumni organization, including during the recent recolonization efforts at UC-San Diego.

Fareed’s desire to serve on council stems from witnessing the growth and leadership development in his own chapter’s brothers firsthand. As a warm start chapter, UCSD Triangle went through a number of growing pains and rapid expansion followed by a near-total dissolution of the chapter in just 8 years since its 2009 founding. Having rushed late in his college career (as a Junior), Fareed helped grow his chapter to successive double-digit classes in his time as an active, though not without learning harsh truths on chapter sustainability, the importance of transitions, and internal stability and development of chapter culture. With the Chapter nearly dissolved in 2017, Fareed and a number of local alumni were able to help maintain Triangle’s presence on-campus at UCSD while recruiting what would become the recolonizing classes (with further lessons learned such as the limitations and benefits of having late 20/early 30-year-olds recruiting undergraduates). In 2022, after 4 years of attempts at a restart and starting the school year with just 1 new member, UCSD’s active colony boasted 700% growth by year’s-end. Fareed has also been integral in maintaining an alumni presence and formalizing an alumni board for the San Diego region (building one from scratch).

At convention in 2019, Fareed presented a formal plea to Nationals to assist with the Southern California chapters, particularly spurred by UCSD’s then-likely disappearance. Since then, Fareed has been plugged in with the National organization at a higher level of engagement than he himself personally expected (forgetting that he had joined the Council of Emerging Leaders in 2017). From these experiences, Fareed hopes to pass on what he has learned to help chapters prevent common mistakes of the past while also linking the greater national organization to some of the problems currently facing chapters on-the-ground.

Activities & Interests: Gardening (currently growing pineapple, citrus, various mints), Barbecue (using a Weber Smoky Mountain for Southwestern US & Traditional Middle Eastern styles), Teaching, Film & Photography (shoot on Sony Alpha a6000 series), Comparative Theology and History, Craft Coffee, Weightlifting, Basketball, Story-driven Role-playing Video Games (e.g., Mass Effect, DragonAge, Red Dead Redemption, the Witcher)

Nominated for Councilman (2 yr. term) | Lucas Wallace kan11

Employer: Shaw Construction

Occupation: Wood framed panel plant manager

Goals for Triangle: Help foster more interest in Triangle nationally as opposed to just at the individual chapter level.

I pledged the Kansas Chapter of Triangle in the fall of 2010 and was initiated in spring of 2011. I attended my first national event (Convention) in the summer of 2011 and gained an entirely new understanding of what triangle was and could be. I returned to my chapter where I served as treasurer for the chapter in 2012 and 2013, along with continued attendance and participation in national events.

After graduation from KU, I worked for Union Pacific Railroad for two years in the KC area where I continued to help advise the Kansas Chapter.

I was relocated to Wisconsin where I stayed for 1 year before leaving to attend grad school for Construction Engineering Management at The University of Colorado. I have been working for Shaw Construction since graduating at the end of 2018.

During my time since becoming a Triangle alumnus, I have been fortunate enough to continue to meet new brothers from different chapters along with maintaining relationships with brothers from my own chapter and several others that I met since the first national event I attended 12 years ago.

Nationally, I have served as the chairman of Triangle’s Council of Emerging Leaders, and look forward to contributing what I can to National Council.

Nominated for Councilman (1 yr. term) | Neel Kumar minn14

Education:  University of Minnesota, BS in Product Design and Applied Business; Concentrations in Mechanical Engineering and Non-Profit Business Management

Employer:  Zeda Medical Equipment Manufacturing

Position:  Product Engineering Manager

Goals for Triangle:

• Ensure that Triangle continues to be an organization that creates long-lasting friendships.
• Increase the quality of members and the organization.
• Improve/maintain good, transparent communication between chapters and national.
• Create a self-sustaining organization.

Neel Kumar was initiated to the Minnesota Chapter of Triangle Fraternity in the Fall of 2014. In Minnesota, he served as Secretary, VP of Recruitment, VP Internal (Housing) and President. He onboarded a new scholarship program (Building Better Men Scholarship) for incoming undergraduates and was heavily involved in TBHC, and the First Robotics Program at Triangle.

After graduating, Neel moved to the Bay Area in California, where he worked for a startup (Zeda Inc.) that specialized in design of medical devices for Additive Manufacturing applications. Since then, Neel has grown with the same company, and has worn a variety of different hats including Sales Engineering, Process Engineering, Manufacturing Lead Engineer, and Lead Project Manager.

Neel has recently moved to the Cincinnati division of the company where there are a variety of applications including but not limited to: Medical, Consumer Electronics, Aerospace, and Aviation. Currently Neel is helping lead the installation and qualification of some of the largest form factor metal laser powder bed 3-D printers available on the market. 

The Triangle Building & Housing Corporation’s Leadership Team is an all-volunteer board of directors, consisting of a chairman, secretary/treasurer, assistant secretary, and two directors. Members of the Fraternity also have the opportunity to elect a Director for the Triangle Building & Housing Corporation. Director terms last for five years. This year the elected Director would begin his term July 1, 2023. The five-year term would conclude June 30, 2028.

Nominated for Director | Don Hatfield msu88

Br. Don Hatfield msu88 began his alumni service upon his return from initial training for the US Navy Reserves and subsequent marriage to his wife Shelley in 1990. He began as the Michigan State Chapter’s Alumni Advisor. As the Active Chapter dwindled down to only three members, he joined with a core of key alumni and helped restart the Chapter. During its reorganization, the Chapter never closed which allowed the Michigan State Chapter to maintain its original 1955 Charter. He continued on as Alumni Treasurer, Alumni VP and Alumni President of the MSU Chapter until he was elected to the National Council in 2000. The Michigan State Chapter is now one of the largest Chapters in Triangle.

Br. Hatfield has been serving in the National Family since 1995 as a Field Director and other volunteer positions, culminating in a decade on the National Council and two years as National President during Triangle’s centennial. Br. Hatfield’s passion has been on the growth of Triangle, often serving on recruitment and marketing related topics.

He has served on the Triangle Building and Housing Corporation (and its predecessor, the Triangle Building Loan Fund) since 2007. During Br. Hatfield’s terms on the BLF / TBHC, he has helped with bolstering the communication and marketing of the organization as it has transitioned from a simple loan fund to a full-service organization, helping support Triangle Chapter Homes which in turn help support growth of Triangle Chapters.

Professionally, Br. Hatfield is the Director of Global Sales for Intrepid Control Systems, and is now responsible for worldwide sales, marketing and technical training. Leading Intrepid’s training programs, he has lectured thousands worldwide on Automotive Ethernet, CAN, CAN FD, LIN, and FlexRay; and its applications for testing, validation, diagnostics, manufacturing, and data logging. Mr. Hatfield was also a GM Resident Engineer for nine years where he assisted users of Intrepid’s products in their use and their application in test, simulation and data logging applications.

Br. Hatfield has been married to Shelley Hatfield for 32 years, and is father to six children: Mackenzie, Madison, Hailey (Alpha Phi), Noah, Phoebe and Eli. He is also a veteran of the US Navy Reserves, having served six years as a Data Systems Technician (DS3).